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Kestevan 79
GM
A pair of Lor officers made their way into the new headquarters of the ancient alien group known as the Praetorians. The space was still very much under construction and being refurbished, with a number of Lor technicians assisting in the process. But these two Lor officers were not there to oversee assisting the Praetorians in establishing their new facility. Instead they were there on behalf of the Republic to request the assistance of the Praetorians.
With the Communion stopped, some semblance of normalcy had returned to this sector of the universe, and that had allowed the Republic to return its attentions to several matters that had been unattended when stopping the Communion had been of utmost importance. But even now the Republic did not have sufficient resources to deal with all the problems at hand.
As the pair moved down the corridor, a larger hulking reptilian humanoid moved over toward them. The figure towered just over eight feet tall, covered in green and brown scales, with a long tail that ended in a spiked ball. "Greetings officers," the reptilian humanoid stated in accented GalStandard, "I am Seresk, may I be of assistance?"
"Greetings Praetorian Seresk, I am Commander E'tten of the Lor Star Navy, and this is Aya K'zan from the Allied Liaison/Intelligence Extra-National Service." The male Lor stated in response. "We are here to speak with Praetorian Val-Ren about a matter in which the Republic wishes to request the assistance of the Praetorians."
The large reptilian alien gave a small nod. "Please, follow me." It replied before turning and leading the pair off down the corridor.
A short while later, the trio arrived at the central command center of the headquarters, a larger circular dome shaped room with a number of other exits. Like most of the rest of the facility, it was still undergoing significant renovations and work, a number of Praetorians and technicians working on installing various systems along the room's walls. In the center of the room was a larger holographic system capable of displaying and tracking information for multiple units and locations. Gathered around the holo display were four individuals, currently in conversation about the progress of renovations for the facility.
One was a humanoid female, slightly over average height for a Lor or Terran, with long black and purple hair and dark orange skin. She was dressed in a full length white bodysuit, with black diamond shapes surrounded by golden yellow trim on the shoulders, upper chest and back. Her black boots and gloves also has the golden yellow trim, and a long black cape trailed behind her. It was not hard to match her appearance to the reports about Paradigm that had circulated among the Coalition forces during the Communion incursion.
Two of the other three were also female, one, dressed in a red jumpsuit, appeared to be Terran, with long black hair and a deep tan complexion. The other woman, who also resembled a Terran, had long dark blonde hair and was dressed in a blue and white military style uniform. The crisp and perfect uniform, as well as the woman's stern, commanding presence, left little doubt that she had at least once been in the military. She had a jagged scar along one eye, and her left arm was a sleek, mechanical replacement.
The fourth figure was dressed in familiar armor of a Star Knight, his armor bright green in its coloring. The Star Knight's helmet was currently not deployed, reveling a Terran who was easily recognizable as Star Knight Kyle Steward, also known as Cavalier.
"Excuse me Imperatrix," Seresk stated as he lead the two Lor forward into the room and towards the four gathered in the center, "may I introduce Commander E'tten of the Lor Star Navy, and Aya K'zan from the Allied Liaison/Intelligence Extra-National Service, here on behalf of the Lor Republic."

Amazri IV, formally Lor Space March 1, 2015 (Terran Calendar)
Amazri IV had long sat well inside the boarders of Lor space, many light years from the contested area with Khanate space. The planet had long been a colony for the Lor, established in the early years of their expansion from Lor-Van. It had developed into one of the Republic's primary centers of industry and manufacturing, with vast automated facilities that covered the northern and southern landscapes of several of its vast continents. Most of the large cities on Amazri IV had been located around its equator, where lush green forests spread out around the cities before giving way to high mountainous zones.
Now more than half its surface had become silver colored metal, and even from space it appeared as if veins of the silver metal were continuing to spread towards the rest of the planet. Amazri IV was one of the most recent Lor planets to fall to the Communion, the cyberforming of the planet still underway.
A group of the Coalition's top scientists had determined that the cyberforming process provided the most direct access to the Communion's central data centers, with the least protections in place to prevent unauthorized access. In short, if the Coalition was going to learn the whereabouts of the Communion's mothership, it would be by gaining access to one of the central relays on a world being cyberformed.
So a small group of Coalition forces were aboard a Grue stealth ship, making their final approach to Amazri IV.
"We will be at our target location within ten microcycles." Stated Gur'ul, the Grue Metamorph in command of the stealth ship, turning back to look at the odd collection of beings that he had been ordered to transport to Amarzi IV.

The heart of the Delaztri Empire Over two thousand years ago Amara Val-Ren knelt on the smooth polished white floor of a large great hall of the headquarters of the Praetorians as she repeated the oath of allegiance to the Delzatri Empire. Her voice joined those of over a dozen other beings kneeling nearby, as they all swore their loyalty and life to protecting the Empire and its citizens. Amara was dressed in a full length white bodysuit, with black diamond shapes, surrounded by golden yellow trim, on the shoulders, upper chest and back. Her long black cape rested over her and was spread out slightly on the floor around her. For the young Naram, this was a moment she had long dreamed of, ever since her older brother had joined the ranks of the Empire's greatest protectors. Following in his path had been a difficult one, yet despite the hardships and sacrifice required, Amara had not wavered in her devotion or focus. "And I shall not falter in my duty, even unto death." Amara recited as she completed the oath along with the others around her. As she finished, Amara raised her head, looking up at the room around her once more. Gathered along the wings of the hall were more than sixty members of the Praetorians, gathered to watch the newest members recite their oaths. Gathered at the front of the hall were the six senior most Praetorians, with Amara's own brother, Daar Val-Ren in the center, similarly watching on. Darr Val-Ren was well over six feet tall, with a powerfully built physique. He had dark orange skin which was characteristic of Naram, with short dark blue/black hair. He was dressed in a uniform similar to Amara's, only his was primarily black, with red diamond patters and a long red cape. "Your oath is complete, welcome brothers and sisters, to the Praetorians!" Daar Val-Ren announced in a strong voice that carried easily through the large hall, followed quickly by a booming cheer from the gathered members. Amara stood back upright, an feeling of elation sweeping over her as she looked to her brother with a small smile, before turning to begin congratulating her fellow new Praetorians...

The heart of the Delaztri Empire, Za'akis Habitations
Over two thousand years agoâ€¦
The Delaztri empire certainly prized itself as civilized. Or at least it would be a reasonable assumption from outsiders but this was no ordinary habitation block. It has been carefully cut off from outside contacts, barring from authorized personnel and dignitaries. While the people lodge there were part of the Empire, for now, it had been deemed wise to keep them off to the side whenever possible, until they had been properly educated in the ways of the empire. They weren't prisoners, of course...in fact keeping them prisoners would be foolish, as it would only end in a senseless massacre.
Guttural screams and chanting could be heard from outside, creating quite the racket. Outside the buildings, banners had been planted, displaying all manners of symbols and colors. Most prominent amongst them was a symbol in gold; the symbol of their God-King.
"I hope you will recognise the great honor I am giving you in allowing us to join us tonight." declared Kharag to Dragonid, his guest. "As my people's leader and their supreme representative in the empire, as it rightfully should be of course, I, Kharag, am required to fill in many diplomatic tasks. Many of which are below me." His contempt was palpable, no doubt all these bureaucratic things bored him beyond belief. Too much talking, too much measuring words, not enough action.
"The other Praetorians would not have the fortitude for such an evening, as they are soft in their ways. You however are not."

Kestevan 79 Magnetar 23,000 LY from Terra November 2014 (Terran Calendar) Why are we here? It was a hard question not to ask as the Praetorians' starship approached the world Moon-Moth had designated as the next target of the Communion. Kestevan 79, and its companion magnetar were a long-dead supernova remnant - the nebula, the neutron star inside, and its magentar companion both had been classified as navigational hazards by the Delaztri and generally avoided by their fleets, something that as far as they could tell had remained the same for Lor and Grue both. After all, what could possibly live in the wash of gases and X-Rays produced by nebula and burning magnetar alike? But there was, as far as the Curator had been able to tell, life on the sole world orbiting Beta Kestevan - life that was by all accounts a target for the Communion. For his part, Solar Sentinel found conditions equally grim as he headed out into the remote space near the Kestevan system, a system so remote and so irradiated that it had remained largely unclaimed in all the space wars he had ever heard of. There was no debris in the system, no asteroids or other planets - just the invisible at this distance neutron star that was Beta Kestevan (for all that it howled like a dead god on the radio) and the single white orb beneath the brilliantly burning shape of the Kestevan nova that floated over the system like the ghost of a dead star. Kestevan I - the only life-bearing world for light-years. Kestevan I; the next target of the Communion. A small collection of older, disreputable-looking starships were in orbit as Sentinel and Praetorians took up their positions in the vast depths of space; the wash of radiation in the system making whatever signals they might be sending to each other impossible to read. The planet was cold and desolate even from space, frozen nearly from pole to pole. Down below, on the icy surface of Kestevan I, a small handful of city lights twinkled at the equator, the planet's only source of free water. They had no idea what was coming.

Continuing from >here.
Amara Val-Ren had followed after Vince as the hologram led her from the room in which she had been awoken and into the vast chamber beyond, where seemingly endless rows upon rows of cryogenic tubes were stored in the cold air of the room. The cold no longer was bothering the Naram, as she moved over towards the nearest row of tubes, around which lights had just activated and the faint forms of her friends and comrades could be seen behind the frost on the tubes.
She carefully counted the tubes as Vince moved over to a nearby control panel and began the awaking process for the other Praetorians. Just about two dozen tubes, the number of survivors she remembered from after their final battle with the Communion. And yet now they were being awoken to face the Communion once again.
Amara stepped back from the tubes as she waited for the others to begin to wake. "We will want to see all information you and the Curator have regarding the Communion's advances. As well as that on any power groups that are there to oppose it."